Disney, DONT bring back 180-day-in-advance restaurant reservations.

Hitchens

Active Member
Original Poster
I hope Disney doesn't bring back 180-day-in-advance restaurant reservations, I don't want to plan out which park I'll be visiting each day 6 months from now.

We went to Paris in the summer of 2019 & it was less of a hassle to plan than our trip to Disney World two years earlier. I'm grateful to Universal Orlando for how much simpler & less onerous they make planning.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
I hope Disney doesn't bring back 180-day-in-advance restaurant reservations, I don't want to plan out which park I'll be visiting each day 6 months from now.

We went to Paris in the summer of 2019 & it was less of a hassle to plan than our trip to Disney World two years earlier. I'm grateful to Universal Orlando for how much simpler & less onerous they make planning.

Do you want no reservations at all before the day, or x days before and if so what is x? I'm currently good with 60 days for the very odd reservation we make, but I suppose you'd be left with the same problem?
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
I like the 180 days, but I always do park hoppers( not todays pale version of park hopping) That way you didn't have to plan which park to spend the majority of your day in.

Me too. We either have AP's or 14 day tickets and have been so many times we tend to go to parks around 8:30am and leave before 1pm to eat outside Disney. Not doing full days we rarely eat in the parks. We may book 1 character breakfast, or an evening meal to coincide with Epcot fireworks. I like the 180 day rule because many don't do that meaning by planning ahead and a little work, we can usually get the times we need.
 

Hitchens

Active Member
Original Poster
Do you want no reservations at all before the day, or x days before and if so what is x?
If I could create the system, hotel guests could make restaurant reservations 5 or 6 weeks in advance, and other guests could make them 4 weeks in advance.

And hotel guests could make attraction reservations 4 weeks in advance & other guests could make them 3 weeks out.

Last time we were in Florida we stayed at the AKL, which I love, then at Universal we stayed at the Royal Pacific. Before we entered a Universal Park we stopped by Margaritaville, and I could feel the Disney stress leave my body & mind.

Then again, I haven't spent most of my life avoiding stress, and I am a true Disney freak (worked at D.land, took a Disney cruise to Alaska--thumbs WAY up on that--and have been to 9 of the 12 Disney theme parks around the world.) So truth be told, a weird part of me would enjoy making all reservations down to what I'll order on the menus 18 months in advance, but the more dominant & pragmatic part of me would prefer to make reservations 4-6 weeks in advance.
 

SteveAZee

Well-Known Member
I found it odd that restaurants were at 180 days but FP+ (for those staying on property) were 60 days. In general, it means planning which park I'll be at on a given day so I know where to make ADRs and then months later fill in with the attractions I'd like to have passes for. For me personally, I'd rather know which rides (and therefore park) I'll be visiting on a given day and THEN plan a meal around the FP+'s I've reserved.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
If I could create the system, hotel guests could make restaurant reservations 5 or 6 weeks in advance, and other guests could make them 4 weeks in advance.

And hotel guests could make attraction reservations 4 weeks in advance & other guests could make them 3 weeks out.

Last time we were in Florida we stayed at the AKL, which I love, then at Universal we stayed at the Royal Pacific. Before we entered a Universal Park we stopped by Margaritaville, and I could feel the Disney stress leave my body & mind.

Then again, I haven't spent most of my life avoiding stress, and I am a true Disney freak (worked at D.land, took a Disney cruise to Alaska--thumbs WAY up on that--and have been to 9 of the 12 Disney theme parks around the world.) So truth be told, a weird part of me would enjoy making all reservations down to what I'll order on the menus 18 months in advance, but the more dominant & pragmatic part of me would prefer to make reservations 4-6 weeks in advance.
I suppose some people will argue that they don't want to decide which park they're going to 3 or 4 weeks ahead of their holiday? I guess it's just a balancing act for Disney as whatever they do, some people will be unhappy about it.

Like you I've learned to plan way in advance and also have come to enjoy it. We booked for October a few months back and had to make 14 reservations to cover our 14 day passes. I'd actually prefer to have the 6 month dining reservation option available now to make a breakfast reservation and a dinner reservation for the 5 of us going. Will probably have to wait till 60 days before which in my mind reduces my chances as I think less apply 6 months in advance but I can only do what Disney allow, so fingers crossed.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Honestly I gotta agree and its not because I'm someone that doesn't know where or what time I'll want to eat that far out. I could easily tell you where and when for a trip I want to take 5 years from now.

For me its because being able to book ADR's 180 days out that means I have to have my trip booked at least that far ahead in order to have the best options available to me.

There are times that I book a trip only a month out and that is very "last minute" by Disney standards and then its more slim pickings.

Same could be said about FP.

I do hope they keep the 60 day ADR window and if/when a version of FP returns I would like to see that be more like a 30 day window for onsite and 15 day window for offsite.

I'd like to know who came up with the arbitrary 180 and 60 numbers anyways.

I'm all for planning but really the only reason I plan that far out is because that's what Disney set up.
 

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
Does anyone seriously know what they want to eat 60 days from now more than they know what they want to eat 180 days from now? Bottom line is there has to be a benchmark, so what difference does it really make when that is? Personally, I prefer the 180 days because I feel that it cuts down on the amount of people (other than us WDW nuts, of course!) who are likely to be thinking of such planning so far out, as compared to the number of people thinking about planning just a couple of months before their vacation.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Does anyone seriously know what they want to eat 60 days from now more than they know what they want to eat 180 days from now? Bottom line is there has to be a benchmark, so what difference does it really make when that is? Personally, I prefer the 180 days because I feel that it cuts down on the amount of people (other than us WDW nuts, of course!) who are likely to be thinking of such planning so far out, as compared to the number of people thinking about planning just a couple of months before their vacation.

The thing is... the cat is out of the bag (thanks to bloggers, vloggers, instagramers, foodies) so no its not just us Disney fanatics that are booking those ADR's 180 days out.
Its newbies as well which is why it has become harder to get what you want even at that 180 days out.
And because they are more indecisive than those that have gone enough to know what they want and when they book a ton and then start to cancel as their plans become more concrete.
If there was a much shorter window maybe they would know what they want for sure when their window opens and wouldn't book as much leaving more up for grabs.
And all this is coming from someone that always loves the planning process but even I admit its become a harder game to play lately.
 
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mergatroid

Well-Known Member
The thing is... the cat is out of the bag (thanks to bloggers, vloggers, instagramers, foodies) so no its not just us Disney fanatics that are booking those ADR's 180 days out.
Its newbies as well which is why it has become harder to get what you want even at that 180 days out.
And because they are more indecisive than those that have gone enough to know what they want and when they book a ton and then start to cancel as their plans become more concrete.
If there was a much shorter window maybe they would know what they want for sure when their window opens and wouldn't book as much leaving more up for grabs.
And all this is coming from someone that always loves the planning process but even I admit its become a harder game to play lately.

From my personal experience (which includes very recently), I've found 60 day reservations harder to get than 180 reservations. Even pre-covid I always found 180 days easier. I would actually log on a few minutes before the new day became available and a second after it did would make either a 8am+ for The Crystal Palace or Garden Grill breakfast, a 6pm Sci-fi before Fantasmic or an 8pm Rose & Crown for fireworks. I was always successful to within 30 mins of our preferred time when doing so.

Out of curiosity I've been 'researching' how easy/hard it is to get any preferred times 60 from now the second that they become available. I'm finding it a lot harder to not only get preferred times, but even any times on some days. I realise that right now there's possibly reduced capacity in some restaurants and 60 days from now is Summer, as opposed to October when we usually go which doesn't help as the parks are busier. But I honestly always found 180 easier, however the number of people in your party may be a factor that I've not considered which could make all the difference?
 
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JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
From my personal experience (which includes very recently), I've found 60 day reservations harder to get than 180 reservations. Even pre-covid I always found 180 days easier. I would actually log on a few minutes before the new day became available and a second after it did would make either a 8am+ for The Crystal Palace or Garden Grill breakfast, a 6pm Sci-fi before Fantasmic or an 8pm Rose & Crown for fireworks. I was always successful to within 30 mins of our preferred time when doing so.

Out of curiosity I've been 'researching' how easy/hard it is to get any preferred times 60 from now the second that they become available. I'm finding it a lot harder to not only get preferred times, but even any times on some days. I realise that right now there's possibly reduced capacity in some restaurants and 60 days from now is Summer, as opposed to October when we usually go which doesn't help as the parks are busier. But I honestly always found 180 easier, however the number of people in your party may be a factor that I've not considered which could make all the difference?
I completely agree with you. I also have found it to be much more difficult to get prime reservations under the current 60-day rule than it was when the 180-day rule was in place. As you aptly pointed out, perhaps there are other factors in play as well, but it still seems to me like 180 days made things at least somewhat easier than 60 days does.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
As someone who lived through the 1970s and 80s at WDW ... same-day, first come, first serve reservations was infinitely preferable to having to plan things six months out.
Really?? I hated those, lol I guess that's the dilemma Disney finds itself in. nothing earth shattering I just prefer having a reservation. I hate waiting hours to get a table, sort of stuck just sitting around the front. I dislike them in real life also. I think the big difference is that in an outside vacation destination say NYC, you can always move onto the next restaurant really easy if there is a long wait some where. At MK, you're just stuck.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
From my personal experience (which includes very recently), I've found 60 day reservations harder to get than 180 reservations. Even pre-covid I always found 180 days easier. I would actually log on a few minutes before the new day became available and a second after it did would make either a 8am+ for The Crystal Palace or Garden Grill breakfast, a 6pm Sci-fi before Fantasmic or an 8pm Rose & Crown for fireworks. I was always successful to within 30 mins of our preferred time when doing so.

Out of curiosity I've been 'researching' how easy/hard it is to get any preferred times 60 from now the second that they become available. I'm finding it a lot harder to not only get preferred times, but even any times on some days. I realise that right now there's possibly reduced capacity in some restaurants and 60 days from now is Summer, as opposed to October when we usually go which doesn't help as the parks are busier. But I honestly always found 180 easier, however the number of people in your party may be a factor that I've not considered which could make all the difference?

I USED to find it easy to make ADR's for a party as large as 14 but not since about 2016. After that it became very difficult to get things like Sci-fi which killed me because it seemed like it was a hated restaurant prior to that even though its been my family's favorite.
I now only go with 1 other person and even a party of 2 is very difficult to get at certain restaurants for the time I want.
I spent weeks checking hourly for a better Le Cellier time until I got it even when starting out at 6am on 180 days out.
I think right now its difficult due to some restaurants not being open and the rest that would usually cram them in being so limited by capacity.
I think once more restaurants open, more CM's come back, and capacity restrictions are lifted it will not be as difficult.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
For us the 180 days worked, We have been multiple times so we know where we want to go, where we want to dine and the 180 days isnt a problem. It does give us an earlier advantage/ a perk for staying onsite for getting what we want before those staying off site. Doing the 60 days this time worked fine, but was it that way because of the more limited numbers bookings due to covid and less numbers of vacationing people?
 

danyoung56

Well-Known Member
Does anyone seriously know what they want to eat 60 days from now more than they know what they want to eat 180 days from now?

I've never liked this argument. No, I don't know what I'll be eating 60 days out, but if I have a rez for, say, Coral Reef, I have no trouble getting in the mood for seafood. Not once have I dined in an Italian place and thought "Crap - I'm really in the mood for steak".
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
I've never liked this argument. No, I don't know what I'll be eating 60 days out, but if I have a rez for, say, Coral Reef, I have no trouble getting in the mood for seafood. Not once have I dined in an Italian place and thought "Crap - I'm really in the mood for steak".
Agreed. Besides, do you know any better at 60 days what you'll want to eat than you did at 180 days?
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Agreed. Besides, do you know any better at 60 days what you'll want to eat than you did at 180 days?
Because we are always obsessed with planning our trips, going over details in advance, this includes looking over the menus from where we wish to dine. Either we are thinking of menu selections to try once we walk in or weve decided to order menu items that have pleased us in the past. It also has helped watching reviews from various bloggers who dine constantly in the parks and resorts who feature new features and select items from the menus.
 

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